As is the case with most kids introduced to the Venus flytrap, I was completely mesmerized by the carnivorous little plants upon first seeing them decades ago. That's not only because they ate "meat" - in the form of flies and other insects - but also because they moved and seemingly did so at will.
While parental and scientific explanations later proved to dispel any notion of them being sentient beings, the first time one such "creature" snaps down at or onto a kid's finger is certain to leave an indelible memory on their impressionable psyche.
Such a thought must have crossed the mind of legendary B-movie director Roger Corman and screenwriter Charles Griffith when, in 1960 they were suddenly faced with a recently empty movie set and two (yes, 2) days in which to shoot a movie. The result was "Little Shop of Horrors," a low-budget, cult-like film most notable for its miniscule production time and budget and a brief appearance by a little known actor named Jack Nicholson.
Of course, the film didn't do much at the box office, but it did lead to an off-Broadway musical of the same name that went on to become a hit and is still in production to this day. Its success then led to the entertaining and enjoyable film adaptation originally released in 1986.
With Ellen Greene reprising her stage role, the casting of the film is near perfect and includes Rick Moranis ("Ghostbusters") in the lead role of the nebbish Seymour. More notable, however, is the supporting cast that includes Steve Martin ("Roxanne") and Bill Murray ("Groundhog Day") who deliver inspired - and very funny - performances as a sadistic dentist and his masochistic patient - as well as James Belushi and John Candy in small parts.
The star attraction, however, was and still is the Audrey II, later and not so affectionately known as "The Mean, Green Mother From Outer Space." Created and operated by Lyle Conway (a Muppet veteran) and his large crew of puppet wranglers, the Venus Flytrap on steroids was a technical and technological marvel, especially for the day and age when it appeared (in today's world its variously sized incarnations would have been computer-generated). The total creature package also benefited from some fun vocalization provided by Four Tops original member Levi Stubbs.
With the musical numbers coming from the multi-Oscar winning team of Alan Menken (music) and Howard Ashman (lyrics) - the same team responsible for the songs in "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast" - the film is as much of a delight to hear as it is to watch and features some great numbers.
Although it gets a bit too dark toward the ending when the Audrey II gets more malevolent (although it's not as bad as originally proposed and shot), the film is one of those imaginative and entertaining pictures that can be watched repeatedly with as much enjoyment each subsequent time as was present the first time around.
As far as the film's treatment on DVD, the picture is good (but not tremendous), while the audio - being a musical - sounds great. Where the DVD excels, however, is with its supplemental materials. With the always appreciated and insightful running audio commentary by director Frank Oz leading the way (and doing a wonderful job explaining the film's production), and including plenty of other fun bits, this DVD version of the movie should keep its fans happy for a long while.
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